iTunes * ratings too restrictive
It is a very simple function and is great as it is, but it can be improved...
isn't it possible to have a 0-100 %age rating in addition to the current system?
think of it this way, each * is 20 "points". so if you give a song a 3 star rating it has a point value of 60. Now imagine automatically the system would update itself. Each time you listened to more then half of the song (or all the way through) it would add 1 point to the total (no more then 100), each time the song was "skipped" -1 (no less then 0). This would be great for people with iPods who have a lot of unrated music, you would be able to change the rating of a song on the go! (albeit slowly, but you can change the value from 1 to 5 or 10 if you like)
what do you think? too complicated? the best part is that it would be completely transparent!
isn't it possible to have a 0-100 %age rating in addition to the current system?
think of it this way, each * is 20 "points". so if you give a song a 3 star rating it has a point value of 60. Now imagine automatically the system would update itself. Each time you listened to more then half of the song (or all the way through) it would add 1 point to the total (no more then 100), each time the song was "skipped" -1 (no less then 0). This would be great for people with iPods who have a lot of unrated music, you would be able to change the rating of a song on the go! (albeit slowly, but you can change the value from 1 to 5 or 10 if you like)
what do you think? too complicated? the best part is that it would be completely transparent!
Comments
<strong>It is a very simple function and is great as it is, but it can be improved...
isn't it possible to have a 0-100 %age rating in addition to the current system?
think of it this way, each * is 20 "points". so if you give a song a 3 star rating it has a point value of 60. Now imagine automatically the system would update itself. Each time you listened to more then half of the song (or all the way through) it would add 1 point to the total (no more then 100), each time the song was "skipped" -1 (no less then 0). This would be great for people with iPods who have a lot of unrated music, you would be able to change the rating of a song on the go! (albeit slowly, but you can change the value from 1 to 5 or 10 if you like)
what do you think? too complicated? the best part is that it would be completely transparent!</strong><hr></blockquote>
The current system does go from 1 to 100, iTunes just restricts your choice through the UI, and when displaying, rounds to the nearest multiple of 20.
You can easily access this through Applescript though
[code]set rating of selection to 80</pre><hr></blockquote>
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I have been thinking along the same lines as you. I already use applescript commands triggered from hotkeys to advance songs so adding a rating change would be child's play, the real problem is the logic.
What you talk about is partly implemented already in playcount, the problem being that iTunes is a bit stupid in this regard and only updates the playcount for a track that completely finishes.
My first mod would be to do as you suggest and increment the playcount by 1 when I skip past a song that is more than half-finished. That would make the playcount a great deal more accurate and therefore useful.
The rating system is a bit more difficult though, I'll have a think about it, try and compose my thoughts and get back to you on this one.
<strong>Wow, u guys have great ideas. However, i dun really care much about ratings. I just dun have the time to rate each of my 1000+ songs!
this is why we are discussing it, i have close to 4000 songs, i think close to 500 are rated...
its a great feature, but a pain in the ass to use
stupider- yeah i downloaded that app that shows the name of the song on the screen and saw how it showed rating as a # instead of stars and i came up with the idea
can you post again how to use applescript with hotkeys to switch songs? thnx
But the stars are good for me. Percentages would be stupid. I would like to see the ability to use half-stars, though. i.e. 3.5 stars would give three full stars and one half star.
<a href="http://perso.club-internet.fr/phupe/english/YKIndex.html"; target="_blank">http://perso.club-internet.fr/phupe/english/YKIndex.html</a>;
This allows you to set hot keys that trigger applescripts, unix scripts, and a long list of prebuilt commands (at last, keyboard access to window zoom!).
When you install it begins running in the background to catch keystrokes, you need to put it in Login Items to launch it automatically on reboots etc.
It also has an editor program to assign actions to keys. Launch it, then select 'run script' from the Shortcuts menu.
Here are the scripts, i call them using F10, F11, F12 for back, play/pause and forward.
tell application "iTunes"
\tplaypause
end tell
tell application "iTunes"
\tprevious track
end tell
tell application "iTunes"
\tnext track
end tell
It's really quite easy, if you hit any specific snags just post them.
<strong>I wish there were a way to rate the app from the "minimized" iTunes view.</strong><hr></blockquote>
If you combine the Youpi Key program with the applescipt I posted earlier you could have (for example) Command + 1/2/3/4/5 assign that rating to the currently playing song, without ITunes needing to be at the front or have an open window.
<strong>I wish there were a way to rate the app from the "minimized" iTunes view. Or maybe if you extend the minimized view there would be a little spot to pick a rating. If there isn't some way to do it while minimized, which I have my iTunes 95% of the time, then I'm not going to rate it. I don't have enough of my songs rated.
But the stars are good for me. Percentages would be stupid. I would like to see the ability to use half-stars, though. i.e. 3.5 stars would give three full stars and one half star.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Personally never found a use for ratings, but more power to ya if you have...
If you want to rate while iTunes is minimized, just right-click or ctrl-click on the iTunes icon in the dock and go to "My Ratings" and pick the one you want.
<strong>...i never understood why people would want to rate ur songs...do you forget which ones you like?
Smart playlists. I have one for all my Electronica/Dance tunes that are rated above 4. So, all my favorite dance tracks are right in one playlist, updated every time I rate a new album.
<strong>
its a great feature, but a pain in the ass to use
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Especially when they disappear!
<strong>Is it possible with AppleScript to create such a window and make it disappear after a few seconds? If so, it should be possible to show the current iTunes track in such a window while switching track using the earlier keyboard trick mentioned here, shouldn't it? That would be :cool: </strong><hr></blockquote>
I think you want this:
<a href="http://www.pth.com/PTHiTunesNotifier/"; target="_blank">http://www.pth.com/PTHiTunesNotifier/</a>;
<strong>
I think you want this:
<a href="http://www.pth.com/PTHiTunesNotifier/"; target="_blank">http://www.pth.com/PTHiTunesNotifier/</a></strong><hr></blockquote>;
Almost perfect, thanks! Almost because it doesn't exactly look nice... it could use a text shadow or something.
<strong>
Almost perfect, thanks! Almost because it doesn't exactly look nice... it could use a text shadow or something.</strong><hr></blockquote>
It does lack options but I found that just the track title and artist in 14pt. white Lucida Grande on a semi-transparent black background (rounded corners off!) fits in with the OS quite well. I have it fade in to the lower left corner of the screen, just above the dock.
<strong>...i never understood why people would want to rate ur songs...do you forget which ones you like?
<img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" /> I find the implication that I might rip CDs I don't actually like rather amusing...
<strong>mine is Green on Black and it takes up the whole screen, why not? it doesn't interfere with ANY application other then the desktop...</strong><hr></blockquote>
well i take that back it seems you cant use the mouse... oh well lower right white on blue it is...
<strong>
oh well lower right white on blue it is...
</strong><hr></blockquote>
How do you stop the long titles going right off the end of the screen?
Also this reminds me, was there not some crazy javascript powered graphical widget builder being released for Mac OS X. Developed by some old skool mac guy that used to do themes... jogging anyones memory?
I think it was the kaleidoscope developer but I'm not sure.